It isn’t really a looming force, or presence, sometimes you don’t even realize it’s there. It latches onto you, whispers in your ear, “Your wrong” “They’re laughing at you” “They’re talking about you behind your back.” You don’t realize what it is first, it’s good at imitating your voice. It digs into you, buries its claws in your shoulders, waying you down, it won’t let you look out. It feeds on you, a parasite, not letting go. It’ll tell you what to fear, why to fear them, rationalizing these fears that have no reason for existing. You’ll avoid things, walk away from opportunities, fearing the worst. “Erase it”, “Not good enough” it says, you realize it’s here now, accepting its guidance, an inner coach guiding you through the world. It rings the alarm bells, “STOP!” “DANGER!” … and you listen to it. A spry little thing, it can jump on your head, plugging your ears, covering your eyes, blocking your mouth. Even if you realize it’s there, people tell you of its toxicity, how it can harm you, it hides, lurks behind you, waiting to latch on when no one is around to stop it.